A single skyscraper dominates the skyline of Phnom Penh. It's visible from every corner of the city but the few people I asked didn't know anything about it. Yesterday I decided to investigate.
The tower looms over the area I like to think of as downtown. The central market, the main bus station and a modern mall are all nestled together within two blocks. I headed into the mall, aka Sorya shopping centre, to get a good look at the tower. At the top of Sorya, eight stories up, is a restaurant with a view of the city. There wasn't a single customer despite it being early afternoon. The hostess didn't mind me looking around so I found a shady spot on the balcony to sketch the tower (see below). Three quarters of its surface are covered in straight glass panes like many of its contemporary siblings but the fourth wall is made of overlapping arcs of glass that make up a long curve. It appears as though a cocoon is slowly being shed to let something escape. On some floors it looks like windows are missing entirely but it was too far away to see why. I returned to the streets to check the tower out from inside; the upper levels would have even better views of the city.
The base was surrounded by construction. Though it looks like it's mostly finished the lower levels are stocked with tools and materials. At least I found the name: Vattanac Capital Project. It's going to house offices, stores, and apartments and at 39 stories it's by far the biggest building around Phnom Penh.
As I retraced my footsteps I realized how vividly coloured the city is. Sketches in black pen aren't doing the sights justice. Luckily I found a stationary store that carried a few markers pretty easily. A little closer to home I came across the Olympic Stadium and from its stands I could see a bit of the surrounding city. The orange and green roof of a pagoda provided a chance to start colouring the city.
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